Endgame scoffed. “I never said forever. Listen, you were a mark. You were a safe house while I let my reputation cool. That’s all you’ve ever been.”

“You can… you can say that. You’re allowed to say whatever you want, but it’s time. I can’t come home to an entire apartment filled with people I don’t know doing things that could get me tossed in jail. I can’t trust you. I've never been able to trust you. All I’ve done is love you. And look where it got me with you.”

Endgame sat up in bed and leveled to stare at me. “Yeah. It’s true. It hurts, though, you know. I didn’t want to care what you thought, and now that you’ve ended that, I feel the pain.” Maybe it was just right now, but he seemed like he was being more real than he’d ever been before. “When do you want me gone?”

I held up Roberta’s lanyard.

“First, we talk about this. How are you and Roberta involved?” I stood and stepped closer to toss the lanyard onto his bed.

“I don’t know what the fuck that is.” He looked at it like it was a snake.

“You know I’ll find out down the line. Just tell me.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

Endgame got off the bed in a rush, moving with jerky purpose. He grabbed up a duffle bag, then he began tossing things into it. “You want me gone? I’m gone. Fuck you. And fuck her. You all straight now? Time to make Mommy and Daddy proud?”

He was launching his worst, being as hurtful as he wanted to be. I wouldn’t let his insults goad me into the response he wanted. I was sure of who I was. My parents were as proud of me standing next to anyone that made me happy, or even standing on my own.

“And when I’m homeless as a fuck outside? You happy to just step over me? Or will you step right on me?” He tossed his bag over his shoulder. My empathy reared up again. How he got me in the past would not be how he got me now. He came close to my face and I didn’t flinch. “You feel nothing now? Her magic pussy made you forget how I touched you?”

I let the hard exterior I was trying to maintain slip a little. “I never did anything to hurt you.”

“Yeah. Except give the fuck up on me.” We were inches apart.